One of the young stars of today's NHL is already drawing a lot of comparisons to one of the greatest Pittsburgh Penguins.
When Marc-Andre Fleury was with the Pittsburgh Penguins he was more than just a fan favorite.
Through the first 13 years of his career, Fleury cemented himself as the greatest goalie in Penguins history, but also became one of the most well-liked players in the locker room.
Over the years, Fleury played a lot of time with Sidney Crosby and learned a lot about the way he plays.
Now a member of the Minnesota Wild, Fleury said he sees a lot of Crosby in one of their young superstars.
Fleury says Kirill Kaprizov reminds him a lot of Crosby in more ways than one.
From physical features to the style of play and pure skill, Kaprizov is growing to perform in much of the same light as Crosby.
Even with a glance at the numbers, the similarities continue; in the 2022-23 season, despite the age gap, both Crosby and Kaprizov have 71 points.
Crosby has put up 26 goals and 45 assists while Karpizov has had a little more balance with 37 goals and 34 assists.
It’s only Kaprizov’s third season in the NHL, but he’s already setting himself apart of one of the elite players around.
In 196 career games, Kaprizov is well past a point-per-game with 111 goals, 119 assists, and 230 points.
Kaprizov currently leads the Wild in scoring on the season and is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest players in their franchise’s history.
Fleury and Kaprizov also look to carry the Wild into their first deep postseason run since the franchise was still in its infancy.
With a player with that many comparisons to Crosby, the Wild should be one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
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